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BT Buys Live-Soccer Rights for $1.4 Billion

Broadband Provider Steps Up Fight With BSkyB; Three Seasons of Champions, Europa Leagues

By

Kathy Gordon

Nov. 9, 2013 9:34 a.m. ET

LONDON—BT Group PLC has added another pricey notch to its sports bow, paying £897 million ($1.4 billion) for the 2015-18 rights to two European soccer championships that are currently broadcast by British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC and ITV PLC.

The British telecommunications and broadband provider has been bulking up its sports channels, which were launched this summer, in a bid to rival the market leader Sky. The company last year agreed to pay £738 million for exclusive rights to broadcast 38 English Premier League...